South African animal-rights activist Joanne Lefson adopted Pigcasso after rescuing her from a grim fate at the slaughterhouse, a couple of years ago. She took the animal back to her farm and offered her a variety of toys to keep her entertained. Among those toys were some paintbrushes, and the pig became so fascinated with them that she ignored all her other toys. Lefson decided to leave out some paint and canvas as well to see what the animal would do. Believe it or not, she started painting.

Pigcasso loves dipping the brush in paint and dragging it across the canvas. She has shown such passion and talent that she now has a personal gallery at the animal rescue farm that has become her home. But with art collectors paying up to $2,000 to get their hands on an original Pigcasso, adding new artworks to her collection has become quite difficult.

Florida Woman Viciously Attacked by Possibly Rabid River Otter
A 77-year-old kayaker had to receive stitches and rabies treatment this weekend after being attacked by a wild river otter in Florida ...

The kayaker, Sue Spector, and her husband were enjoying a day paddling down the Braden River near Sarasota, Florida, last Sunday (March 4) when an uninvited guest hopped aboard Spector's boat.

"It was very pristine and very nice, and I heard someone make a comment that, 'Oh, there's an otter!'" Sue told Fox 13 News. "And then all of a sudden, he jumped on the kayak, and two seconds later, he jumped on me." ...

Seemingly unprovoked, the otter lashed out at Spector with its teeth and claws, slashing at her arms, face and head. (Luckily, a thick life jacket protected her chest.) Both Spector and her husband attempted to beat the otter back with their paddles, but within minutes, both of their kayaks had overturned, and the fight resumed in cold, neck-deep water.

After a few more minutes of struggle, the otter finally disengaged and swam away. Fellow kayakers returned Spector and her husband safely to dry land, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission posted a sign warning of the aggressive otter at the river's entrance. According to Fox 13 News, another kayaker was hospitalized one day prior, following a similar attack on the Braden River. The attacks were likely perpetrated by the same otter, who is believed to be rabid.

... A 2011 analysis by researchers from the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society found that 39 wild otter attacks had been reported since 1875, with most of them occurring in the past 20 years. Nearly half of these (15 attacks total) occurred in Florida, and about one-third of the assailant otters were rabid. Human injuries are typically minor like Spector's; in one extreme case, an otter attack victim had to receive nearly 200 stitches, but none of the attacks were fatal.